California\u2019s public school system, which purports to educate nearly 6 million students ranging from 4-year-olds in transitional kindergarten to near-adults preparing to graduate from high school, is in a world of hurt.<\/p>\n
Its students\u00a0perform poorly in national tests of academic achievemen<\/a>t, some local school districts flirt with insolvency as\u00a0unions press for raises to offset spikes in living costs<\/a>, politicians wrangle over money while issuing a steady stream of mandates and demands and \u2014 on top of everything \u2014 nobody knows who is accountable for outcomes.<\/p>\n The lack of accountability stems from the construction \u2014 in layer after layer \u2014 of overlapping bits of authority that undermine cohesive governance.<\/p>\n The governor, the state school board he or she appoints, an elected state schools superintendent, the Legislature, locally elected school boards and their superintendents, elected county school superintendents, elected county boards of education and the courts all have input.<\/p>\n When things are going well, such as an\u00a0upward spike in test scores<\/a>, there\u2019s a rush to claim credit. But when problems arise, everyone involved points to someone or something else.<\/p>\n